Mark Richards dedicated over two decades to teaching music at St. Francis Xavier School in Metairie, Louisiana. But this June, the melody abruptly stopped when school officials fired him—because a parent stumbled upon his late husband’s obituary.
That’s right: a man lost his job for being a widower.
Richards, a fixture in the Catholic school’s community, was let go after a parent alerted administrators to the fact that his deceased spouse was a man. Though Richards had been open about being gay and had always signed the school’s annual morality clause “with a wink and a nudge,” things changed when his husband’s obituary became ammunition.
The morality clause—often used selectively and rarely enforced—prohibits conduct deemed inconsistent with the teachings of the Catholic church. Specifically, it forbids “contracting a marriage in violation of the rules of the Catholic church” and “actively engaging in homosexual activity.” Richards had done neither since his husband John Messinger died in 2023. But to the unnamed, allegedly “disgruntled” parent, his very identity was the crime.
Richards was reportedly told only, “you’re fired.” That’s all. No meeting. No explanation beyond the moral code that suddenly mattered after 21 years of service. His termination triggered backlash from parents and students, many of whom had adored him and felt blindsided by the decision.
A petition launched by parents called Richards “a beacon of kindness and understanding,” drawing over 1,500 signatures in just days. Some parents are demanding the removal of the clause’s anti-LGBTQ language. One mother put it best: “Your identity is not your morality.”
Others, like parent Rick English, labeled the morality clause “a violation of human rights.” But the school isn’t budging. Administrators claimed Richards’ version of events was “not fully accurate” but cited legal limitations to explain why they wouldn’t elaborate. Their final word? “This decision is final and will not be revisited.”
This isn’t just about one man and his job. It’s about a church system that, while deep in bankruptcy court due to decades of clergy sexual abuse, still finds time to police who someone loved. It’s about power, prejudice, and the priorities of an institution that’s more concerned with policing identity than confronting its past sins.
For the LGBTQ community, this is another painful reminder: acceptance in religious institutions is often conditional. You can teach their children, comfort them through losses, and build their programs—for 21 years—but your identity still makes you expendable.
Mark Richards wasn’t caught doing anything wrong. His offense? Loving someone the Catholic church refused to recognize. And now, even in mourning, he’s being punished.